Nintendo's next games console is officially out of the bag and hurtling towards us like a Mario-emblazoned train.

Formerly known as the Nintendo NX, the new machine is called Nintendo Switch. And it looks brilliant.

A preview trailer revealed the device in October, and some of its clever features, but there's still plenty more we're yet to discover.

That's why, during the build-up phase, we've put together all the speculation we've heard about it in the past, as well as the new information that has come to light. Here's everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch.

What is Nintendo Switch?

The late Satoru Iwata first revealed his company was working on a new games console in March 2015. Codenamed Nintendo NX (but reported as "Project NX" originally), the new console was said to be "a brand-new concept".

"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename 'NX'. It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year," Iwata said.

The machine he was referring to is the Nintendo Switch, revealed on Thursday 20 October 2016, although sadly, he passed away in summer of 2015, so would not get to deliver that news himself.

When is the Nintendo Switch release date?

At that time, Nintendo says, it will reveal "full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, product configuration and related specifics".

Its in-store date of March 2017 is still on the cards.

How much will Nintendo Switch cost?

Considering how different it is to anything else out there it is hard to guess how much the Nintendo Switch is likely to cost. But according to a couple of reports, it might be cheaper than originally expected.

A couple of games retailers, one in the UK and one in Canada, have published Nintendo Switch listings that suggest it will be around the £200 mark. Game.co.uk listed it for £199.99 while Toys R Us in Canada listed the console at 330 Canadian dollars (around £195 at today's exchange rate).

That would make the Switch cheaper than the Wii U was at launch. Nintendo priced its last console at $300 initially, but we all know how that turned out.

A £200 price point would put the Switch more on a par with former machines. The Wii cost $250, the GameCube $200, as did the N64, SNES and NES.

One thing that throws a spanner into the works is that CEO Tatsumi Kimishima previously revealed that the company will not be making the latest machine at a loss. It's hard to see the unique elements of Switch being manufactured so cheaply. After all, it requires a high-grade screen, clip on controllers and a HDMI-enabled base station.

Other reports put it at around the $400 mark, so closer to £300. We'll find out more in January.

Nintendo

What will the Nintendo Switch look like?

Nintendo's preview trailer pretty much revealed all, including the fact that the Nintendo Switch will use cartridges, like its classic consoles and the Nintendo DS series.

It is essentially made of one base unit with a "high definition" screen that can then be added to. Two controllers - called Joy-Cons - clip either side when portable, giving a Wii U GamePad-style experience. They then come off when the console is slotted into its docking station.

You can then clip the Joy-Con controllers to a separate accessory to make a fully-fledged gamepad.

What's more, each of the Joy-Cons can be used as a basic but full controller individually, allowing for two-player games when out and about. The Switch tablet unit has a kickstand so it can remain upright, like a portable TV.

What are the Nintendo Switch specifications?

We've seen what it looks like but we will have to wait to find out the Switch's actual capabilities.

But surveys can often throw misinformation at the person partaking in order to gauge reaction to possible rather than definitive features.

The 4K part has been repeated elsewhere though, with some thinking that it goes beyond video streaming and the console might even upscale games footage to 4K when plugged into the dock. Even in that case, games will still run in 1080p at best, however.

Other rumoured spec (as reported by Nintendo Insider) include an AMD GPU and "between 6GB and 8GB of RAM". However, these come from Reddit user untypedhero, who claims to be a Nintendo employee or close to the company. Reddit has apparently verified his validity, but there is still come doubt as to his credentials, so take it with a pinch of salt.

What software will the Nintendo Switch software be like?

An interesting rumour that emerged in the middle of last year is that the Nintendo Switch operating system will be based on Android.

This was based on the fact that the company is working with mobile gaming platform company DeNA on its mobile applications, which started recently with Miitomo.

To be honest, we've not heard much recently to back up the claim, so it might be a rumour that has faded since. Although, considering it's turned out to be more tablet than anything else, it does still make sense.

What games will be available for Nintendo Switch?

It has been confirmed that alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Wii U, which has now been put back to 2017, an enhanced version will also be available for Nintendo NX from launch day.

Nintendo hasn't officially revealed what other games will be released for sure, but several did appear in the preview trailer, including Splatoon, an enhanced version of Mario Kart 8, a Mario platformer that looks like (and could be) Super Mario 3D World, a Switch version of Skyrim, and NBA 2K17.

But while many of the launch games are still unknown, a full list of developers, publishers and other software partners has been revealed. You can see them all below: